Be grateful for freedom To see other dreams. Bless your loneliness as much as you drank Of your former companionships. All that you are experiencing now Will become moods of future joys So bless it all.

Do not think your ways superior To another’s Do not venture to judge But see things with fresh and open eyes Do not condemn But praise what you can And when you can’t be silent.

Time is now a gift for you A gift of freedom To think and remember and understand The ever perplexing past And to re-create yourself anew In order to transform time.

Live while you are alive. Learn the ways of silence and wisdom Learn to act, learn a new speech Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit Learn to free yourself from all things that have moulded you And which limit your secret and undiscovered road.

Remember that all things which happen To you are raw materials Endlessly fertile Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change Your life and go on doing for ever.

Never forget to pray and be thankful For all the things good or bad on the rich road; For everything is changeable So long as you live while you are alive.

Fear not, but be full of light and love; Fear not but be alert and receptive; Fear not but act decisively when you should; Fear not, but know when to stop; Fear not for you are loved by me; Fear not, for death is not the real terror, But life -magically – is.

Be joyful in your silenceBe strong in your patienceDo not try to wrestle with the universeBut be sometimes like water or airSometimes like fire

Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery. Never forget that love Requires that you be The greatest person you are capable of being, Self-generating and strong and gentle- Your own hero and star.

Love demands the best in us To always and in time overcome the worst And lowest in our souls. Love the world wisely. It is love alone that is the greatest weapon And the deepest and hardest secret.

So fear not, my friend. The darkness is gentler than you think. Be grateful for the manifold Dreams of creation And the many ways of unnumbered peoples. Be grateful for life as you live it. And may a wonderful light Always guide you on the unfolding road.

Also, as I turned 40 in June, I, inspired by the Mayan calendar, spent some time backtracking my life all the way to 2006 and back. As our Gregorian timeline currently invites us to get excited about a new decade, I remain calm. Honestly: been there, done that.

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Chance – or synchronicity, as I prefer to call it these days – introduced me to the Mayan calendar in 2005, just weeks before my first Nia White Belt training in June. You can imagine my reaction, when the very same calendar was referred to during the intensive. All things seemed to align, in a most welcome of ways.

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As I last summer recapitulated the previous thirteen years of my life, I realized that many of the most transformative events of my adult life so far were in tune with that mystical, magical calendar, that talks about 13 Moons and a parallel system of 260 days called the Tzolkin. The Tzolkin consists of twenty 13-day “wavespells”, each with their theme and their questions to face and reflect. My last name, Aalto, is the Finnish word for wave. I’m amused.

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The 13 Moon calendar – adapted for a modern age by people who were/are fascinated by its mystical poetry and intuitive logic – celebrates its new year on July 26, when Sirius and the Sun originally were aligned in the horizon at dawn. In all honesty’s name, it feels somehow more life-affirming to celebrate the threshold of New in the midst of abundance (in both light and nature), rather than from the most scarce of circumstances as we – at least in the Northern Hemisphere – are doing now. Yes, so we have turned back towards the light – but the journey from here to bloom is still a lengthy one.

Each of the 13 Moons also have a tone, a number, associated with them – and with that their own theme of 28 days. Curiously enough we’re now a bit more than halfway into the Sixth, Rhythmic Moon – which is all about getting organized and finding the personal rhythms, habits and actions that sustain, empower, nurture and fuel us further into the year. Does not sound too far fetched from what many are up to in general this time of (the Gregorian) year, does it?

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What I find most enchanting with comparing different ways of tracking time, is how irreversibly they affect my thinking and perception of reality. “2019” is no more (or less) true or real than any other way of labeling our orbit in deep space – and I love being aware of that. It tingles my imagination, and the parts of me that are more than comfortable with mystery.

That said, I know all too well also how liberating it can feel to get to switch years in the midst of the dark, and 2020 is somehow a particularly handsome number. Hence, in the name of that doubled double digit and the organizational aspects of the current Rhythmic Moon, I took a look at some body-mind-emotion-spirit-highlights from the year so many call 2019 and listed them below.

Any talent, that you have and that you do not use, becomes pain.Any wisdom, or insight, that you do not share, becomes pain, too.

Well, that is an interesting theory.

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And by the way, regarding the burden I mentioned. Once upon a time, there was something that I carried with me for thirteen years straight. Then, suddenly as lightning from a clear sky, I, from one sunny noon in August this year on, no longer did.

I’m still getting used to the freedom, and the possibilities it brings. My faith in the age of miracles is strong.

Until next time,Minna

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After a BEAST experience with Debbie in Gothenburg in Sweden in October.

BODY

I have learnt to relax into the ball of my foot when stepping (back) onto it. Ann Christiansen’s Ride-routine has played a major role in this very healing and empowering experience.

I have learnt to engage a bunch of gluteal and thigh muscles, so that they support some deeper muscles that I tore in an unaware sidekick some years ago. Love the cooperation that happens in that area of my body now.

I have learnt, that I’m flexible, agile, mobile, strong and stable past my expectations. Getting to experience the Move IT 2 -format through an impromptu BEAST-session during the Evolution Event in Gothenburg, Sweden, was a dream come true. I don’t know when I’ve sweated as much as I did then, and yet I was simultaneously supercharged. Kelle Rae Oien, you ROCK!

MIND

A few examples of how I remain sane these days:* learning/teachingNia choregraphy – for coordination and memory* planning and execution of Nia year/website/flyers/blogs – organisation, information, attention to details* 5 stages, every morning – igniting the connection between mind and body from the start* short & simple yoga/qi qong –practices – calms the mind, centers the breath* using my hands – utilizing surplus thought energy, concentrating* painting, making music – form and freedom, control and “mistakes” (accidental clicks!)* the Maya calendar – logic and mystery* journaling – understanding my own mind* limited usage of electronic devices – whenever I leave home, I’m basically offline. All my devices either require wi-fi, or are without web access in the first place.

To this, I would like to add a certain general mental hygiene: I refuse (to) gossip, and I do my best with truth-telling.

A bunch of lovelies showed up for my birthday jam in June.I finally invested in a skeleton of my own. Sir Dance-A-Lot resides in my kitchen!Summer spent with my niece, in my childhood corners, brings precious balance to work days.

EMOTIONS

As the general tone of discussion leans more and more in the divisive and polarising direction, I do my best to remain calm. That calm, and a tendency to look at any one thing from several viewpoints, is an interesting combination. It may seem like I’m distancing myself from most anything – but mostly, I’m really just taking it all in. I do allow myself (to feel) all emotional states, yet make a difference between reacting and acting (on them). At times, if not most often, the best solution is…. to dance with it.

Ihave also recently had the chance to look at jealousy – something that is triggered so rarely in me, that when it is, it gets my full attention. Most often the roots can be found in either me not being assertive enough to stand my ground in something that really matters to me. Another option is, that I haven’t shown myself due appreciation for the effort I have invested in something – or, then I simply have deprived myself of habits or hobbies that sustain and nurture me. Sometimes jealousy seems related to trust, too – or rather, temporary lack of it.

My colleague Riikka once described Nia as her kind of activism – and I think very much along the same lines. My work with Nia feels, in itself, as an action for for instance feminism and the environment. Joy, peace, respect, reverence, relationship – it’s all there.

A lovely moment in time: Hanna Uusiprosi, Ann Christiansen, me and Riikka Wallinco-taught a class during the White Belt in Turku in June.What a joy and honour to get to follow the journey of these White Belts! Many of them have danced with me for a long time.Me in front of my painted galaxies in Mökki Galleria in June.

SPIRIT

I have to admit: my Spirit feels very seen and heard this year.2019 kicked off with an oracle card exhibition and continued with the release of my album Immersed in May and my Universe Exhibition in June. Like I once realized: the onely way to lead a happy, creative life, is to lead a happy, creative life. So, that’s where I currently am at: doing my best to lead a happy, creative life. The international Nia Teachers crew gets a special mention: your feedback on especially my music really, really moves, supports, and inspires me.

In addition to doing and making, there needs to be the ability to receive – and especially the following things have (in addition to intimate relationships and nurturing meetings) nourished and uplifted my Spirit this year: Lisa Star’s podcasts on the Mayan calendar, and Yoga With Adriene. The Nia Marathons with Eija and Hanna.The Nia manuals (the Learn Books from White to Black Belt).The forest, and my grandmothers’s cottage.The Minna Twice-gigs I’ve played together with my Hausmann.Astrology by Chani Nicholas, a fantastic Kalevala-performance at the local Swedish Theater; the Evolution Event in Gothenburg.Jane Eyre, and poetry.

Immersed was released a month before my 40th birthday.Me and my Hausmann. 10 (almost 11!) years of serene silliness behind.Happy dancers after the Nia marathon during the Kuopio Dance Festival in June. Laura, my soulsister and confidante – my first Nia teacher and now I’m hers– on our 40th birthday trip to the Evolution Event.My summer oasis, which it is extra soothing to think of in the midst of winter. We will get to the green soon enough, again.

When I came to Nia, it’s safe to say I was pretty broken. My anorexia and exercise addiction had taken over my life and my body, and I was in the most physical and mental/emotional pain I have ever experienced.

When I discovered Nia I began learning what it meant to truly listen to and take care of my body. During the time I was embodying Nia, I created a network of supports to lean on and learn from – friends, books, meditation, blogs, therapists, mentors, music, teachers, my journal, creative writing and more. I spent so much time examining old stories and entertaining new perspectives about my body.

Another key for me during this time of self discovery was receiving a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder. It was a long road to get to a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder and it was vital – it laid the foundation for my ability to move forward. In concert with embodying Nia and unlearning/relearning through my network of supports, my diagnosis helped form my personal recipe for wellness and movement towards self love.

Gradually my way of thinking about my body changed and I began repairing my relationship with my fractured self. I’m grateful that Nia was part of my wellness plan then and continues to be so now. Physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually I am on the path to learning to be my best self!

BACKGROUND:The Finnish word for October is lokakuu. Earlier this fall, I decided to declare October LOVEMYBODY-lokakuu, as the two L:s went so beautifully together. Via social media, I announced that I was looking for stories about relating to one’s body – stories about bodyshame, and bodylove, and everything in between. I was lucky enough to get a few responses, which I have had the pleasure and honour to share. Thank you to the contributors!

Minna

PS. Should you be inspired to share your story, please do – through me, or via your own channels. Good bodytalk is precious, and healing.

I was overweight since the age of 14. I was struggling with disordered eating, had distorted body image and an official permission to skip P.E. lessons. I avoided mirrors at all cost, wore baggy clothes and hated all kinds of sport passionately. I was the happiest when I completely forgot that I had a body.

My psychologist had heard of Nia and pushed me gently to at least give it a try. Finally I gave in, mainly so that she stops asking me about it. I signed up for Kinga Brezina’s class in The Shift studio in Budapest, being 100% sure that I would have to fight my way through 60 miserable minutes. I was expecting to hate Nia just as much as anything else…

We were well into the cycle of cool-down when I first glanced at the clock, shocked to find out that so much time had flown by. Here I quote my e-mail to Kinga the following day:

It was incredible!!! I left the
studio floating above the ground, I’ve not felt this joyful and energized for a
long time. I wish I could take all girls and women to your class, this is a
real miracle.

So, I started attending her classes, and never stopped. I turned 22 in May this year, and soon after that I took my White Belt intensive. I taught my first class recently.

When I look in the mirror, I might not be
completely satisfied with every tiny detail, but what I see is a dancer’s body.
My body, one I’m grateful to have, happy to move and excited to get to
know more and more as I continue on my Nia journey.

I’m not so focused on pounds and clothing sizes any more, I’m more interested in having the ability to learn new movements, and to dance with strength, grace and joy. And not too surprisingly, my reflection looks a lot prettier when I’m beaming with happiness during or after class. (A guy told me the other day that I have a figure of someone who dances really a lot, and honestly, this was the sweetest compliment ever.)

Instead of being ashamed of my body and trying to go unnoticed at all times, I’m feeling blessed to be a woman, and I enjoy playing with this feminine, sexy side I never knew I had, swaying my hips, spinning around the room, almost swinging with each step when I walk in the streets. I have more confidence, more trust in my body and certainly a lot more appreciation for it. Nia has definitely changed my body, but more importantly, it changed me and my life in it.

Sharing the joy!

Text by Boróka Erdélyi, who also provided the pictures.

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BACKGROUND:The Finnish word for October is lokakuu. Earlier this fall, I decided to declare October LOVEMYBODY-lokakuu, as the two L:s went so beautifully together. Via social media, I announced that I was looking for stories about relating to one’s body – stories about bodyshame, and bodylove, and everything in between. I was lucky enough to get a few responses, which I now have the pleasure and honour to share. Thank you to the contributors! .

Minna

PS. Should you be inspired to share your story, please do – through me, or via your own channels. Good bodytalk is precious, and healing.

In our journey towards knowing ourselves we gently, or not so gently, peel away the layers of self illusions to discover our true selves. We learn about our beliefs, the stories we’ve been fed by others, often stories about ourselves that we’ve chosen to believe. Belief and truth are not always the same. What is the truth we tell ourselves about ourselves? What do we believe about ourselves?

Just over decade ago, in August 2007, I wrote an article for National Public Radio’s show This I Believe. I was in the beginning of my yoga training/teaching, and I was learning how to move my body in new ways. My wonderful yoga mentor had helped me to discover new and inventive ways to support my foreshortened left arm. I was learning about my body and my beliefs. I intended to teach yoga to people like myself, people who didn’t live in a perfect body, who weren’t accepted in typical studios. My attitude was “I am not my body.” That was my belief and my defense against years of striving to prove myself equal to able bodied peers. When NPR chose to publish my essay I was just starting to teach yoga. I didn’t understand then that I didn’t love my body or myself. I believed what I wrote, then.

From NPR’s This I Believe:

I believe I am not my body.

Every day, we see images of perfect bodies we can never have, and we become convinced our bodies are who we are. Passing through puberty, into adulthood and now into middle age, I’ve wasted a lot of time lamenting the size of my hips, the gray in my hair, and the lines in my face. Finally, as I approach my 50s, I believe my parents were right all along: I am not my body.
I was born in 1959, at the tail end of the baby boom. Unfortunately I arrived without all my body parts fully intact. My left arm is a short stub with a small hand and three fingers, reminiscent of a thalidomide defect. To my good fortune, I had superb parents. They were fighters who struck “I can’t” from my vocabulary, and replaced it with “I will find a way.” They believed the development of the mind, heart and soul determine who you are and who you will become. My body was not to be used as an excuse; instead it was a catalyst.
My body was not neglected, though. It endured surgery; it was dragged to physical therapy, then to swimming, and finally to yoga. But it was not the focus of my life. I was taught to respect my body, but to remember that it was only a vehicle that carried the important things: my brain and soul. Moreover, I was taught that bodies come in all shapes, colors and sizes, and that everyone was struggling in some way with their physical inadequacies. Infomercials have convinced me this must be true, although through adolescence I found it difficult to believe the cheerleading squad had any self-doubts.
In my alternately formed body, I have learned lessons about patience, determination, frustration and success. This body can’t play the piano or climb rock walls, but it taught all the neighborhood kids to eat with their feet, a skill it learned in the children’s hospital. Eventually it learned to tie shoes, crossed a stage to pick up a college diploma, backpacked through Europe and changed my baby’s diapers.
Some people think I am my body and treat me with prejudice or pity. Some are just curious. It took years, but I have learned to ignore the stares and just smile back. My body has taught me to respect my fellow humans — even the thin, able-bodied, beautiful ones.
I am my words, my ideas and my actions. I am filled with love, humor, ambition and intelligence. This I believe: I am your fellow human being and, like you, I am so much more than a body.

As I moved through my fifties, I continued my yoga training, embraced yin yoga, studied many forms of healing and meditation, opened a yoga studio, and raised my kids. In other words, I continued on my journey towards self discovery. I’d taken one Nia class and didn’t think it was for me. Then through a convoluted series of disruptions by the Universe, I found myself agreeing to take Nia classes from teacher I’d hired to teach Nia at my yoga studio. When she relocated to the west coast, my classmates elected me to take my White Belt training so that I could teach Nia. To say this was out of my comfort zone is an understatement.

I usually danced with my eyes closed, I avoided looking at myself in the mirror and if forced, I didn’t look at my arm. I’d never taken dance as a child because at my first attempt at ballet at age four, the other girls wouldn’t dance with me because my arm was ugly. The instructor thought it best I didn’t return. I stopped dancing in public after that.

I was terrified to step into the Nia teacher role, but my classmates insisted I’d be wonderful and were extremely supportive. They believed in me. So off to White Belt I went. What a transformational experience! I learned so much about myself, and of course about Nia. Who knew Nia was a spiritual practice? I thought it was about dance. At the end of my White Belt, here is the TRUTH I could finally tell myself about myself; although I respected my body, I didn’t love myself. As I write that, it shakes me to the core. I was ashamed I felt this way. After years of yoga, therapy, healing work, I had not released those ugly beliefs I still held about myself. I didn’t know how to love myself and my arm was ugly, just as those girls had told me decades ago. What I had learned in White belt helped me to see my beliefs about myself weren’t true, but they were deeply held.

I still believe I’m not my body, my spirit resides in this biological unit and I am so much more than my biology. And most assuredly, I am my body, every cell speaks to me, influences me, teaches me about being more authentic. We are dependent upon one another, spirit and body, along with those playmates mind and emotions. This journey hasn’t been fast or easy, but I’ve kept on dancing. Nia has taught me to be inside my body with love, attention and awareness, one belt at a time, and one class at a time, one step at a time. Nia taught me not only to love my body, but to love myself.

By the end of White Belt I learned to dance with my eyes open. I could look at my students. I could see their joy of movement and sense my own. Blue Belt taught me to look in the mirror and talk with love to my left arm, and watch myself move. I installed mirrors in my yoga studio. Brown Belt taught me to forgive myself for not loving myself. I apologized to my right arm for making it work so hard and to my left arm for not seeing it’s beauty. I added jewelry to my left wrist and thumb. Green Belt taught me to share what I had learned with confidence and joy. Move It taught me my body could do more than I thought. By embodying the glorious power of Nia over the last seven years I’ve learned the dance of joy. I can honestly smile into the mirror at myself and at my students.

My sixtieth birthday is a month away. A decade of self discovery led me to complete my Black Belt training just a week ago. My goal was to strip off that last layer of self doubt and criticism that I wasn’t enough. Honestly I’m not sure I have the words as yet to fully convey how I feel and to share the depth of what I learned. First, let me share that my classmates were amazing, supportive and filled with so much love that I felt completely safe to be among them diving into the river of uncertainty. To say that Debbie Rosas is a remarkable teacher who walks her walk is an understatement. That I was sharing the space with my previous belt teachers, Winalee and Caroline certainly helped. I am grateful.

Here is what I learned about myself. I am stronger than I knew. Loving yourself is a choice. When you love yourself suddenly everything is transformed. I am a black belt. I did it. I plunged into the river and let go. When I chose love over fear, my spirit, resting inside this body, experienced real joy. When I am the dance, present, aware, grounded, and intentional, there is no separation between spirit and body. It just all is. I can move my body with complete love, connected to the music, to the space, and to my classmates.

Debbie Rosas’ first question to us at Black Belt was, “Is there anybody here who doesn’t love their body?” Full disclosure, I raised my hand. Now, post Black belt, in the truth I tell myself about myself, I can say I love my body and myself. I finally let go of those last fears, shame and judgments that made me feel less. I plunged my body into the river of uncertainty and discovered at I am so much more than I ever imagined and my body is just fine as she is in this moment. I am grateful beyond measure to all my teachers and students who share my journey. I am grateful for this wondrous journey. I am excited to share our Nia dance with joy and love.

Dance On,Lisa Sandin

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BACKGROUND:The Finnish word for October is lokakuu. Earlier this fall, I decided to declare October LOVEMYBODY-lokakuu, as the two L:s went so beautifully together. Via social media, I announced that I was looking for stories about relating to one’s body – stories about bodyshame, and bodylove, and everything in between. I was lucky enough to get a few responses, which I now, to crown this long month, have the pleasure and honour to share. Thank you to the contributors! A few more remain.

Minna

PS. Should you be inspired to share your story, please do – through me, or via your own channels. Good bodytalk is precious, and healing.